Meeting 26

RFID - Identity That Gets Under your Skin
Wednesday, March 1st, 2006 at 7.00pm
Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA
curated by MIKE WOROBEC
Admission: Free, all ages and species

Speakers

JOE MCCARTHY: The Practicalities, Peril and Promise of RFID

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology enables an ever increasing range of objects to be automatically identified. This talk will provide a brief overview of how RFID technology works, followed by a whirlwind tour of a number of applications of the technology, with varying degrees of utility, risk and appeal.

We will also be demonstrating our "proactive display" application, which links RFID tags to online profiles and shows elements of those profiles on large computer displays when their RFID-tag-wearing owners are detected nearby, creating new opportunities for interactions and connections among people in a shared space ... like a Dorkbot meeting. Anyone interested in sharing something about themselves on a display at the March meeting is encouraged to create a profile.

Joe McCarthy is the Founder and Connector-in-Chief of Interrelativity, Inc., whose mission is to use technology to help people relate to one another in shared physical spaces. Prior to founding Interrelativity, Joe's career included roles as a researcher at Intel and Accenture, a professor at University of Hartford, an independent consultant, and lead guitarist of the band Freeway Jam. More information about Joe and his work can be found on the Interrelativity web site and Joe's weblog.

AMAL GRAAFSTRA: Embedded RFID

RFID has been around a long time. Only recently has it gained popularity with hobbyists and gadetiers, making its way into their home brew projects and even under their own skins. This presentation will showcase a couple home-built RFID based projects (building instructions for which can be found in the RFID Toys book. www.rfidtoys.net). I will also speak about implantable RFID tags, the implantation process, physical risks involved, and the privacy and security concerns that revolve around RFID.

Amal's Bio | Images | rfidtoys.net | Injector and Tag | Implant Location

DOUG KLUNDER (ACLU-WA Privacy Project Director): RFID and Privacy

RFID is the subject of growing debate about its societal effects. Proponents claim vast efficiencies and cost savings, and opponents claim massive privacy invasions. Both sides tend to lump all RFID applications together, without making distinctions between them. This presentation will attempt to explore some of the nuances, focusing on circumstances under which RFID poses a true threat to privacy, and suggesting some possible ways to minimize those threats.

Doug Klunder is the Privacy Project Director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington. His original training is in Computer Science; he spent over 10 years in software development at Microsoft, where he was the lead developer for the first versions of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Money. More recently, he became a lawyer. He now combines his technology and legal backgrounds in work on privacy issues for the ACLU. He concentrates on informational privacy (e.g., public records, data mining, medical privacy) and technological threats to privacy (e.g., biometrics and surveillance). Work includes legislative analysis, litigation, and public education.

Open Dork/Show and Tell

We want you! Yes, you!!! If you have a project – any project, at any stage of completeness, an idea – any idea, at any stage of bakedness, an artwork – any kind of artwork at any stage of doneness, please do bring it along to the dorkbot meeting and claim your 10 minutes worth of fame after the presenters. And of course, if you have an RFID-related anything – any kind of RFID anything – then bring it along and show us all!